Note-sheet-guiding device.



W. M. STONE.

NOTE SHEET GUIDING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED OOT.'I,1911.

Patented July 28, 1914.

Lwamm STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILIBUR m. STONE, or NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR 'ro ARTHUR CONROW, TRUSTEE,

; or NEW YORK, N. Y.

NOTE-SfiEET-GUIDING DEVICE.

State of New York, have invented certain' new and useful Improvements in Note Sheet-Guiding Devices, of which the following is a specification.

' This invention relates to note-sheet guiding devices for automatic musical instruments and has for its object to provide a device of the class specified, eflicient in operation and simple in construction.

With these ends in view my improvements comprise parts and combinations of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention.

Figure 1 is a general front elevation partly in section. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional elevation illustrating the operation of a portion of my device. Fig. 3 is asectional elevation illustrating an alternate construction of a portion of my device, the section being taken on line aa of Fig. 5. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation similar to that of Fig. 3, the section being taken on line bb of Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a sect onal plan view, the section being taken on line cc of Fig. 3.

Music rolls 2 and 4 are rotatably mounted in side frames 3 and 5 and roll 4 may be actuated-by means of its shaft 40 from some source of power not shown, to draw note-sheet 6 across tracker-bar 7. Said tracker-bar is mounted for movement in the direction of its length transverse the path of travel of note-sheet 6 in bearings in side-frames 3 and 5 and may be provided with the usual music apertures 8, 8. Notesheet 6 is provided with the usual perforations 9, 9 which, as said note-sheet is drawn across tracker-bar 7 register with corre sponding apertures 8, 8 in said trackerbar thereby admitting atmosphere through said apertures to the usual ducts not shown, whereby the mechanism of the musical instrument is set in motion to sound the notes indicated by the note-sheet perforations all as well-known in the art. Adjacent to one edge of the normal path of said note-sheet, tracker-bar 7 is providedwith a single guide opening 10 communicating by pipe 12 with pneumatic means operable through suitable mechanical connections for moving said Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 7, 1911.

Patented July 28, 1914. Serial No. 653,345.

tracker-bar endwise in either direction as the case may be for maintaining correct registration between the perforations in the note-sheet and the apertures in the trackerbar. Said pneumatic and mechanical means comprise a single actuating pneumatic 11 which is actuated by atmospheric pressure alternately in opposite directions and which pneumatic has its movable wall 13 connected by link 15 to tracker-bar 7. Said movable Wall is preferably provided with an overhanging portion 14 having ear 16 fixed thereto and which ear is pivotally connected to said link 15.

For working actuating pneumatic 11 in opposite directions b atmospheric pressure I preferably inclose it in a chamber 17 and secure fixed wall 18 of said pneumatic to some suitable support as post 19 of said chamber. Overhanging portion 14 of movable wall 13 projects outwardly through opening 21 in said chamber 17 and is provided with a flexible air-dam 20 to prevent leakage. Pneumatic 11 and chamber 17 are each provided with both atmospheric and vacuum connections and means are provided for simultaneously admitting atmosphere to said pneumatic and vacuum to said chamber or vice versa. lVhile said means may have any one of a variety of embodiments I preferably employ a. single valve member 22 preferably cylindrical and slidably mounted in a corresponding cylindrical seat or chamber 28. Said valve 22 has two ports 23, 24. therearound. Said valve is operated alternately in opposite directions by atmospheric pressure; downwardly by direct pressure of the atmosphere and upwardly by indirect prcssure through primary pneumatic 25.

Vacuum chamber 26 is provided with ipe 27 leading therefrom to some source 0 .exhaust not shown. Vacuum passage 29 from chamber 26 and atmospheric passage 30 are merged into common passage 31 leading into actuating pneumatic 11. Atmospheric passage 3-2 and vacuum passage 33 are merged into common passage 34; leading into chamber 17 Passages 29, 30, 32 and 33 are preferably arranged in parallelism in one plane. Valve chamber 28 is open at one end to vacuum chamber 26 and at the other end to the atmosphere. Said chamber severs each of said passages 29, 30, 32 and 33 in the common plane normal thereto. Primary pneumatic 25 within vacuum chamber 26 is connected with pipe 12 leadingto guide opening 10 and is provided with bleed hole 35 communicating with vacuum chamber 26. Valve 22 has stem 36 at one end thereof terminating i-n button 37 for engagement with primary pneumatic 25. Stem 38 projects from the other end of said valve 22 and has adjustable stop nuts 39, 41 threaded thereon for engagement with arm 42 upstanding from the wall of valve chamber 28, for limiting the stroke of valve 22.

In Figs. 3, 4 and 5 I have illustrated one modification of valve arrangement wherein I employ rotary valve 52 having ports 53, 54 for at one time admitting vacuum to actuating pneumatic 11 and atmosphere to chamber 17 and at another time admitting atmosphere to said pneumatic and vacuum to said chamber. Saidvalve 52 is rotatably mounted inseat 51 of valve box 55 having passage 56 open to atmosphere and passage 57 connected with vacuum chamber 26. Pipe 31 leads. from one side of valve seat 51 to pneumatic 11 and pipe 34 leads from the other side of said seat to chamber 17. Stem 58 of valve 52 has arm 59 thereof connected to primary pneumatic 25 by link 60 and spring 61 connects said arm with wall 46 of vacuum chamber 26 for returning valve 52 to the posit-ion of Fig. 3 after pneumatic 25 has been expanded by atmosphere to move arm 59 from its full line position of Fig. 4 to the dotted line position of said figure. It

- will be obvious to those skilled in the art s as follows: Referring first particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 and assuming that guide-opening 10 is covered by note-sheet 6, primary pneumatic 25 Will be collapsed by the downward movement of valve 22 under the pressure of atmosphere on the head thereof, Fig. 1. Port 24 is thereby in line with vacuum passage 29 to pneumatic 11 and port 23 is in line with atmospheric passage 32 to chamber 17 Said pneumatic 11 will therefore be collapsed by atmospheric pressure on its exterior against vacuum in its interior, thereby shifting tracker-bar 7 to the left. Guideopening 10 in said tracker-bar is thereby uncovered bybeing moved out from under note-sheet 6 and atmosphere is admitted to primary pneumatic 25. Said pneumatic thereupon expands moving valve 22 11pwardly causing. port 24 to register with atmospheric passage 30 to actuating pneumatic 11 and port 23 to register with vacuum passage 33 to chamber 17. Said neumatic 11 will thereupon be expanded y atmospheric pressure within against vacuum withtual operation guide-openin out thereby; shifting tracker balij .tO the right and restoring guide-opening 10 to covered condition by note-sheet 6. Atmosphere is thus shut ofi from primary neumatic 25 which thereupon collapses un er the downwardmovement of valve 22, and the several parts are again as shown in Fig. 1'. In ac- 10 will fluctuate back and forth throng a ver short stroke whereby the edge of saidgui e-opening will be rapidly"coveredand uncovered and valve 22 will flutter up. and down through a correspondingly short' stroke from the mid-portioushown in Fig. 2.- The apparatus is thus constantlyin unstable equilibrium and if said note-sheet 6 deviates from its normal path of travel one way 'or the other its edge 600 will be closeliy followed by guide-opening 10, therebyconstantly maintaining the predetermined relation .between said note-sheet and tracker-bar and therefore between the perforations in the gote-sheet and the apertures in 'theRtr'acker- The operation of the rocking valve of Figs. 3, 4 and 5 is essentially similar to the operation of the sliding valve of Fig.1 and may be briefly described as follows: When atmosphere is admitted through pipe 12 to,

primary pneumatic 25sai'd pneumatic expands and through link GO rotates valve. 52 from its position of Fig.3 toconnect assage 31 of pneumatic 1 1 with .atmosp mm and passage 34 of chamber'17 with vacuum.

If then atmosphere be cut ofi' from pipe 12 said primary pneumaticwill be collapsed by the pull of spring 61 and valve 52 will. be returned to the position of- Fig.3 wherein vacuum is being admitted to pneumatic 11' and atmosphere to chamber 17.

1. A note-sheet guiding device including iii-combination, a tracker-bar, amusic roll, a Windingroll for unwinding a note-sheet from said inusic roll and drawing it across said track r-bar, a guide opening appurtenant to said tracker-bar adapted to be alternately covered and uncovered by said note-sheet, a chamber, an actuating pneumatic therein pneumatically operable in either direction for shifting-said tracker-bar transversely of the note-sheet in eitherdirection respectively, a valve for governing said pneumatic, means for moving said valve, the movement of which valve is constantly governedbut not" produced by the presence or absence of'l'ateral movement of the note-sheet in either direction relatively to said guide opening, means 'for'moving from said music roll and drawing it across said tracker-bar, a guide opening appurtenant to said tracker-bar, adapted to be alternately covered and uncovered by said note-sheet, a chamber, an actuating pneumatic therein pneumatically operable in either direction, for shifting said trackerbar transversely of the note-sheet in either direction respectively, a unitary valve independent of said pneumatic, for governin said pneumatic, and which valve is actuate by atmosphere alternately in opposite directions, the admission of atmosphere to said valve being constantly governed by the presence or absen.ce of lateral movement in either direction of the notg -sheet relatively to said guide opening, means for moving said tracker-bar from thejactuating pneumatic, and means for connecting the device with vacuum producing means.

3. In a note-sheet guiding device employing a tracker-bar and a note-sheet traveling thereover, the combination of a. chamber, a single actuating pneumatic therein pneumatically operable in either direction for shifting the tracker-bar in either direction respectively transversely of the note-sheet, a

unitary valve independent of said pneu- 'matic'for governing said pneumatic, a single guide opening in said tracker-bar adapted to be alternately covered and uncovered by the note-sheet, means for actuatin the valve from the guide opening, means or actuating the tracker-bar from said pneumatic, and means for connecting the device with vacuum producing means.

4. A note-sheet guiding device including in combination, a note-sheet, a tracker-bar having a guide opening therein, adapted to be alternately covered and uncovered by said note-sheet, a winding roll for drawing said note-sheet across said tracker-bar, an actuating pneumatic, a chamber in which said pneumatic is inclosed, a valve, for at one time letting atmosphere into said pneumatic and also out of said chamber and at another time for letting atmosphere out of said pneumatic and also into said chamber, the movement of which valve is constantly governed but not produced by the presence or absence of lateral movement of the notesheet relatively to said guide opening, means for actuating the tracker-bar from said pneumatic, and means for connecting the device with vacuum producing means;

5. A note-sheet guiding device including in combination, a tracker-bar, a note-sheet,

. Signed at New a winding roll for drawing said note-sheet across said tracker-bar, a single guide-opening appurtenant to said tracker-bar adapted to be alternately covered and uncovered by said note-sheet, a single actuating pneumatic, a chamber in which said pneumatic is inclosed, means for at one time letting atmosphere into said pneumatic and also out of said chamber and at another time for letting atmosphere out of said pneumatic and also into said chamber for moving said tracker-bar transversely of said note-sheet; means, governed by the covering or uncovering of said single guide opening, for actuating the means for letting atmosphere into and out of said pneumatic and chamber re spectively, means for connecting said tracker-bar and said pneumatic, and means for connecting the device with vacuum producing means. i

6. A. note-sheet guiding device including in combination, a tracker-bar, a note-sheet,"

a winding roll for drawing said note-sheet across said tracker-bar, a single guide-opening appurtenant to said tracker-bar adapted to be alternately covered and uncovered by said note-sheet, a single actuating pneumatic, a chamber in which said pneumatic is inclosed, a unitary valve for at one time let ting atmosphere into said pneumatic and also out of said chamber and at another time for letting atmosphere out of said pneumatic and also into said chamber for moving said tracker-bar transversely to said note-sheet, means, governed by the covering or uncovering of said single guide-opening, for actuating said unitary valve, means for connecting said tracker-bar and said pneumatic, and means for connectmg the device with vacuum producing means.

7. A note-sheet guiding device including in combinatiom-an actuating pneumatic, a chamber in which said pneumatic is entirely inclosed, a unitary valve for at one time letting atmosphere into said pneumatic and out of said chamber and at another time out of said pneumatic and into said chamber, and means for connecting the device with vacuum producing means. i

/ York, N. Y., this 6th day of October, 1911, before two subscribing witnesses.

wineua M. STONE.

lVitnesses:

CHAS. W. LARUE, LOUIS B. TISCHLER.

Copier of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Fatents Washington, D. 0. 

